HOW TO WRITE A GOURMET RESUME

Any great recipe requires a number of quality ingredients to make it work; a resume should be treated with the same care and attention: just the right amounts of different elements to create a readable and concise reflection of your employment experience.

But do employers still read resumes?!

The rise and rise of social media in the modern world has been unfathomable. In a previous issue of The Career Chronicles, I focused on the growing importance of networking through social media platforms, such as LinkedIn. As a result, an increasing number of clients are asking me whether or not a traditional ‘paper-based’ resume still plays a significant part when looking for work. The answer to that question is yes?. most definitely!

Writing a quality resume still plays a vital role in the application process for 2 main reasons:

A resume is still your very first introduction to a potential employer. If they’re impressed by your resume, this will then entice them into finding out more about you, leading them to browse your LinkedIn profile.

Your application should be tailored to each and every job you’re applying for; this includes your resume, as it should look to address the requirements of the role and meet specific employer expectations. You can’t tailor your Linked profile to meet the specific requirements of several roles, whereas you’re able to tailor and send different resumes to employers, demonstrating how you meet both their requirements and expectations.

What makes a good resume?

You could ask 10 different Career Coaches this question and you’d get 10 different answers as there is no set method regarding how you should write a quality resume. With that being said, I believe that there are fundamental elements which ALL resumes should have, and I’ll be providing you with the recipe today.

The recipe for our ‘Gourmet Resume’ has been in the INS family for years and has been passed down from employee to employee, constantly undergoing refinement in-line with the maturing palate of the employment market. It has assisted 1000s of our clients to obtain satisfying, long-lasting roles and if you’re job hunting, I hope it can do the same for you. Enjoy!

Gourmet Resume Recipe

Ingredients

1 x Career Summary

6 x Key Strengths

Qualifications/Training Courses

Employment History

Key achievements

References

Directions

Create a career summary which ideally should be approximately 5 lines and 4 sentences long. The first line should describe the type of professional you are using adjectives and what industries you’ve had exposure to. The next 3 sentences should describe 3 highly relevant skills or areas of expertise related to the role which you are applying for, including what results have been achieved for each one.

Next, create a list of 6 key strengths-based on the key accountabilities or responsibilities of the role. Each strength should be between 1-2 lines.

Remember; the front page of your resume should give an employer a snapshot of your most relevant skills and qualifications. Include a list of your top 3 relevant qualifications/training courses related to this role. If the qualification is outdated, it may be an idea to remove completion dates. Remaining qualifications or courses can be listed on the last page.

Your employment history should include a 2-line overview of the role, followed by your key achievements. The difference between writing a “responsibility” and an “achievement” is that the latter will include an action and a result (quantified if possible!).

And finally to garnish, include at least 2 professional referees at the end of the resume. Ensure these are up to date and they are aware that they may be contacted.

Well, there you have it: our recipe for what makes an outstanding resume. But not all of us make great chefs, so should you need an extra helping hand constructing yours, INS is here to help

Feel free to contact one of our friendly Career Coaches if you require further assistance in creating or updating your resume. We’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading!

Matt AppassamyCareer Coach

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